Buckles



April 21, 1959 J. F. SPIELMAN BUCKLES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 13,1957 United Aerotherm Corporation, Bantam, Conn., a corporation Myinvention relates to an improvement in belt buckles in general and tosafety belt buckles in particular.'-

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a belt b'uckle which,while capable of maintaining the two ends of a -belt or strap attachedto each other u nder very high;

tensional stresses, may be released instantaneously, even though thebelt may be under high tension,` by simply1 striking the buckle a sharpblow with the hand, arm',- elbow, or any other part of the body whichmay be avail# a'ble. This feature is of value, of course, in buckles formany uses ybut is particularly valuable for use on safety belts,whereth'e u ser of the belt may be involved in an accident, such as aplane crash, for example, and may be in such a position or conditionthat his hands areA notv free to release the buckle in conventionalfashion but is able to strike the buckle a sha'rp blow to effect itsrelease. 4""In general, my improved buckle comprises-a belt fittingwhich is attached to one end of the belt, and a tongue which is adaptedto be attached'to the adjacent end of the belt. These two parts are soconstructed and arrangedthat, while they will remain locked to` eachother .even when the belt is subjected to comparatively` high'tensions,they are readily separable by simply striking the buckle a sharp blowwith the hand or other part of the body.

-I am aware, of course, that buckles are notoriously o-ld and embrace agreat many different designs, -varying froml the simple type in which atongue, 'affixed to one end of a belt, passes through a hole in theother end of the belt to the more involved designs where levers and camsor cam surfaces are employed to retain the buckle in locking position.These buckles all require the use of two hands or some other type ofvmanipulation for release, asl distinguished from my construction inwhichit is merely necessary to strike the buckle a sharp blowto effectits release or disengagement.

In the accompanying drawings,

l- Fig. Vl shows an embodiment of my invention inp'erspective; if f Fig.2 is a sectional, elevational view showing the buckle completelydisengaged;

Fig. 3 is a sectional, elevational view showing the buckle engaged;

Fig. 4 is a sectional, elevational view showing the positions occupiedby the movable parts of the buckle after being struck a sharp blow sothat the two ends of the belt are disengaged; and

Fig. 5 is an exploded view of the buckle.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 2 and 4 designate the two belt endswhich are to be buckled together. Secured to the belt end 2 is a bucklebase 6, while secured to the belt end 4 is a cooperating belt fitting orbuckle tongue 8.

The buckle base 6 is shaped to provide an integral, annular housing 10,extending upwardly from the upper face of the buckle base. The housingwall is slotted at 12 and 14 (Figs. 2 and 5) to permit the buckle tongue8 to be inserted into the housing, as will be brought out hereinafter.

lever lock plate without interfering with pivoting of secured to eachother, with the lever lock plate between' IC@A 2 Lying within the lowering lug 18. The enlarged bore in which the lock plate 16 is installedprevents movement of the plate above the level of the lower side of theslots 12 and 14 in the buckle base 6, while the irregular periphery ofthe lock plate prevents rotation thereof in relation to the buckle base.

*N20 designates a lever lock plate, which is within the housing 10 andoverlies the lock plate 16, its lower face resting upon the locking lug18 of the lock plate.

Extending into the upper end of the housing l10 i'sja'I release button22. The stern or shank 24 of this button is slotted in alignment withthe slots 12 and 14 in the buckle base 6, to enable the stemto beslippedover the the latter. A coil spring 25 is provided within thevbutton shank between the upper face of the lever lock plate 20 them, bytwo screws 26 (see Fig. 5 These screws, y,of

ing. This bottom cover plate is fixed in position in any convenientfashion, as.v by peening, for example.

From the description thus far given it will be seen that the releasebutton 22, the lock plate 16, and allv of the internal elements arecapable of being reciprocated' as a unit within the housing 10, and thatthe vlever lockA plate 20 in itself is free to pivot on the top of theloclt- In this connection it may be noted that the top of the lockinglug is bevelled in opposed direc-' (Figs. 4"

' In the construction illustrated, the belt tting or buckle ing lug 18.

tions, front and rear, as seen at 30 and 32 and 5).

tongue 8 isA provided with a hole 34, which is adapted to cooperate withthe locking lug 18 when the buckle is engaged or locked.

out of vparallelism with the lock vplate- 16 and resting u'pon thebevelled area 32'at the top of the locking lug44 18.- .With the parts inthis position, the buckle tonguel 8 can be inserted into the housing 10,between the lever-` "lock plate 20 and the lock plate 16,9through theside slot 12, and be pushed across the' housing until the hole@ 34 inthe tongue 8 registers with the locking lug 18. To facilitate entry ofthe tongue beneath the lever lock plate 20, not only is the locking lug18 bevelled at 30, as already pointed out, but the lever lock plate 20at its forward edge, that is, the edge adjacent the slot 12, is bevelledas seen at 36 (Fig. 2).

As the tongue 8 is advanced, the lever lock plate 20 will be pivoted toa horizontal position, as seen in Fig. 3, and the spring 25 will becompressed, until finally, when the hole 34 in the tongue 8 registerswith the locking lug 18, the lock plate 16 and the button 22 will moveup- Wardly as a unit to move the locking lug 18 into locked position inthe tongue 8. The buckle tongue 8 is, in fact, pressed between the leverlock plate 20 and the lock plate 16, to provide a direct shear load onthe locking lug 18. The form of interlock which I have illustratedbetween the tongue 8 and lock plate 16 has proven very effective, and Ihave found it capable of withstanding very high tensions on the belt. Itis to be understood,

part of the base 6 is a lock` plate 16, which is provided on its upperface with a locks 3 however, that other formstof interlockmaybefemployed within the purview of this invention.

As well illustrated in Fig. 3, the button 22 and lock plate 16 have bothbeen moved upwardly with respect to .the .housing .10, and .the leverlock ,plate .-20 .is 4.now lying in .aborizontal position, namely,parallel fto the lockpl'ate'ld. .Now,.assuming thatit is desired torelease or .disengage the buckle, .it is merely .necessary .to strikethelbutton '22..asharp blow, andzregardless of therapplied tension .on.the belt this will move the'button and lock plate. 16 downwardly withinthe housing 10 until thef locking'lug 18 clears the hole 34 inthe tongue8, asillustratedin Eig. 4, the tongue then withdrawingfromfthe housing.10 .by reason .of the .tension .under which we assume the beltto be,andthe .parts will once more .assume thepositions illustrated in.Fig. 2.

From .all of theforegoingit will .be `appreciated thatV mylinventionprovides a quick-release buckle, which requires .no .manipulation votherthan .striking the Irelease member or button asharpblow when thebuckleis to be. disengaged or unlocked.

vItis to be understood that, whilefl have shown .one embodiment of myinvention, changes may be made in the details of construction vandarrangement vof parts illustrate'd and described within the purviewof myinvention.

.WhatI claim is:

f1. .A belt buckle comprising, inV combination, a buckle base; abuckletongue insertable into .said base .transversely thereof; a lock platewithin the base bavinglimitedmovement axially thereof; means carried .by'saidlock plate .and interlockable with said buckle tongue for lockingthe .buckle .tongue against withdrawal from the bucklebase; .asecondplate within.said base overlying the said lock plate, .saidsecondplate being tiltable andlbeing normally .tiltedat an Vangle Vtothe plane of the lock plate; means within .said base .limiting .theangle of tiltof said secondplate; arelease button at the exterior of thesaid base andhavingastem extendinginto thesaid base, .said stem.beingrigidly secured to the saidlock plate; anda spring carried by saidbutton stem Vbetween said button and said second plate, insertion of thebelt tongueinto saidbase between said twoplates vtilting the .saidsecond plate` into ,parallelism with the said lock, plate andcompressing said .spring to bias-the lock plate into interlockingrelation to the belt tongue, depression of said. release button in.opposition to said spring moving the .lock plate out.of interlockingrelation to the belt -tongue,.toperrnit the sbelt vtongue to bewithdrawn from between the said twoplates.

t2, .A beltbuckle comprising, in combination, a buckle base anda buckletongue, .said .base beinggprovide'dtwith antopening Vinitsside wall forthe insertion of the said tongue. into the base transversely Lof thebase; .a lockplatev within said .base-having alimited movement axiallyiof `the base; arelease button at the exterior of said base having astem extending intothe base, said stem being rigidly ssecuredtofsaicllokplatea `loekinglug"ear-i'iedfon foneY face of said lock plate; afloating lever lock plate within said base in superposed relation tosaid `rst plate, si'd lever lock plate being tiltable on said lug as afulcrum and being normally tilted at an angle to the plane of the lockplate; means within said base for limiting the angle of tilt of thelever lock plate; and a spring between said lever lock plate and saidrelease'button whereby, when the said buckle tongue is insertedinto saidbase between the said two plates, the lever lock plate will be tilted soas to *be parallel `to `the irst lock plate, jand the lrelease buttonand therst-lock plate will be displaced V'from the buckle base to bringsaid lug into interlocking relation to said tongue, ,said springpermitting depression of said release button and said rst lock platewith the buckle tongue between the'two plates to disrupt the interlockbetween the lug and buckle tongue to permit the buckle tongue to bewithdrawn from the buckle base.

`3. Abelt buckle comprising, in combination, .a buckle base anda buckletongue, said base being provided with an opening in its side wall forthe insertion of the said tonguel into the base transversely of .thebase; a lock plate withinsaidrbase having a limitedmovement axiallyofthe base; a .release button at the exterior of said .base having` a.stem extending into the base, said stem being rigidly secured .to 'saidlock plate; a locking lug carried-on one face of said lock plate; aoating lever lock plate within said .base in .superposed relation tosaid first plate, said lever lock plate-.being tiltable on saidlug as afulcrum. and .being-normally tilted at an anglel tothe planeof .thelockplate; means within said base for-limiting theangle of-.tilt ofthelever lock plate, .the edge `of said lever lock plate adjacent the saidopening in the side wall of the base being beveled to facilitate entryof the belt tongue intoisaid. base between the opposed faces of the lockplate Vand the leverlock plate; .and a'spring between'said` lever lockplate and said release button whereby, when the said buckle tongueisinserted into said base between thesaid two plates, the lever lock platewill be l.tilted so asto be parallel tothe lirst lock plate, land therelease button and the rst lock plate will be displaced .from the bucklebase to bring said lug into interlocking relation to said tongue, said`spring permitting depression of .said release button and said Viirstlock plate with the buckle tongue between the two plates to disrupt theinterlock between tbe'lug and :buckle tongue to .permit the buckletongue to be withdrawnifrom the buckle base.

References Cited inthe le of this vpatent UNITED STATES `PATENTS.1,899,656 Wigleytet al.v Feb.'28,-1933V FOREIGN .PATENTS 571,760.France ..:Feb.f8', 1924 667,136 Great Britain Feb. 27, 1952

